Anton Yelchin Is Officially Irreplaceable in the Star Trek Franchise

There’s a shadow looming over the Star Trek franchise. Like the Fast and Furious franchise and many films before it, the rebooted intergalactic fantasy is still grappling with the very real tragedy of the death of star Anton Yelchin. Many film critics have noted that the actor’s presence in Star Trek Beyond is at the very least distracting, if not a sobering element for a summer blockbuster. But with another sequel already announced, the real question may be how the franchise plans to fill the hole left by Yelchin in any upcoming film. The answer, according to J.J. Abrams? They can’t

Speaking with Postmedia Network, Abrams said that Yelchin’s role of Ensign Pavel Chekov will not be re-cast. “I would say there’s no replacing him,” Abrams said. “There’s no re-casting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.”

But when it comes to dealing with Yelchin’s absence, Abrams says he doesn’t quite have a plan in place yet. With more than a year between Paul Walker’s death and the release of Furious 7, the Fast and Furious franchise was able to write Walker’s absence into the plot. His character, Brian, retired from a life of crime; it won’t be odd that he’ll be missing from future films. But less than two months have passed since Yelchin died, so there’s no way Chekov’s exit could be worked into the script for Star Trek Beyond. That, presumably, will be a job for Star Trek 4—and as Abrams said, firmly, “I have thought about it, we’re working on it, and it’s too early to talk about it.”

But with Chris Hemsworthrejoining the cast as James T. Kirk’s father, George, there’s a lot of potential in a future installment for some reflection on mortality. In the next film, Chris Pine’s character will meet his father, who died on the day he was born. If the captain of the Enterprise is already reeling from the death of a beloved crew member like Chekov, a time-bending confrontation with his own doomed father might be all the more poignant. Star Trek Beyond, one of Yelchin’s final films, opens Friday, July 22.